erōtaō · ask

What it means

erōtaō (ἐρωτάω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “ask”.

A question; also request, ask for.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To want to know something and turn to another so they tell it.
2. To ask someone to do something.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

To ask a question; and also to ask someone to do something, to request. The compound ἐπερωτάω (G1905) is mostly ‘ask a question’. It is distinct from αἰτέω (‘ask for’ something, G154).

• Asking a question John 9:2Matthew 16:13John 1:19
• Asking someone to do something Luke 4:38Luke 7:36John 12:21
• Jesus asks the Father for his own John 14:16John 17:9
• A request in a letter: “we ask you” 1 Thessalonians 4:12 John 1:5
• “On that day you will ask me nothing” John 16:23

How we translate it

“Ask” 25 times, “asked” 18, “asking” 11, “asks” 4, “were urging” 2, “question” and “questioned” once each. English “ask” covers both senses, the question and the request; the context shows which one it is. In John 16:23 this verb and αἰτέω appear together: “you will ask me nothing”, and then “if you ask the Father anything in my name”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• ask ×25
• asked ×18
• asking ×11
• asks ×4
• were urging ×2
• question ×1
• questioned ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×4
• Mark×3
• Luke×15
• John×27
• Acts×7
• Philippians×1
• 1 Thessalonians×2
• 2 Thessalonians×1
• 1 John×1
• 2 John×1

• Matthew 15:23

  But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and were urging him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”

• Matthew 16:13

  Now when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he was asking his disciples, saying, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

• Matthew 19:17

  And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

• Matthew 21:24

  And Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which, if you tell me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.

• Mark 4:10

  And when he was alone, those around him with the Twelve were asking him about the parables.

• Mark 7:26

  Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth; and she was asking him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

• Mark 8:5

  And he was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”

• Luke 4:38

  And rising to go from the synagogue, he went into Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was gripped by a high fever, and they asked him about her.

• Luke 5:3

  And getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land; and sitting down, he was teaching the crowds from the boat.

• Luke 7:3

  And when he heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and save his slave.

• Luke 7:36

  Now one of the Pharisees was asking him to eat with him, and going into the Pharisee’s house, he reclined at table.

• Luke 8:37

  And all the people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked him to go away from them, because they were gripped with great fear. So he got into a boat and returned.

• Luke 9:45

  But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

• Luke 11:37

  Now as he was speaking, a Pharisee asks him to dine with him; so he went in and reclined at table.

• Luke 14:18

  And they all began alike to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I have need to go out and see it; I ask you, have me excused.’

• Luke 14:19

  And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; I ask you, have me excused.’

• Luke 14:32

  And if not, while he is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.

• Luke 16:27

  And he said, ‘Then I ask you, father, to send him to my father’s house —

• Luke 19:31

  And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you will say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’”

• Luke 20:3

  And he answered and said to them, “I also will ask you a question, and you tell me:

• Luke 22:68

  and if I ask you, you will certainly not answer.

• Luke 23:3

  And Pilate asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him and said, “You say so.”

• John 1:19

  And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

• John 1:21

  And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he says, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

• John 1:25

  And they asked him and said to him, “Why then are you immersing, if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

• John 4:31

  Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

• John 4:40

  So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.

• John 4:47

  When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die.

• John 5:12

  They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick it up and walk’?”

• John 9:2

  And his disciples asked him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

• John 9:15

  So the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

• John 9:19

  and asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he see now?”

• John 9:21

  but how he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. Ask him; he is of age; he will speak for himself.”

• John 12:21

  So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and they were asking him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

• John 14:16

  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever,

• John 16:5

  But now I am going to the one who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

• John 16:19

  Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see me; and again a little while, and you will see me’?

• John 16:23

  And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly, I tell you, if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you.

• John 16:26

  On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on behalf of you;

• John 16:30

  Now we know that you know all things and do not need for anyone to question you; by this we believe that you came forth from God.”

And 22 more times.